Wrecked Brazilian ship leaking oil in Antartica
May 9, 2012, 8:51 PM
Associated Press
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) – A wrecked Brazilian ship is trapped in ice and spilling fuel in Antarctica, with no hopes of containing the damage until the long South Pole winter eases next October.
The “Endless Sea” capsized and sank in 12 meters (39 feet) of water last month near where Chile and Brazil have navy bases. The crew was rescued without injury, but poor weather kept them from diving below to check the damage until Wednesday.
The ship carried about 2,100 gallons of oil but Veronica Vallejos of the Chilean Antarctic Institute tells The Associated Press that the extent of the spill is unknown.
The worst Antarctic spill to date was in 2007, when a tourist ship went down with nearly 57,000 gallons of fuel.
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